Siena

Siena is one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities, and a trip worth making even if you are in Tuscany for just a few days. Siena’s heart is its central piazza known as Il Campo, known worldwide for the famous Palio run here, a horse race run around the piazza two times every summer, the city’s most anticipated event . Movie audiences worldwide can see Siena and the Palio in the James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. The Piazza del Campo is truly unique with its shell shape, its brick pavements and for all the beautiful buildings that face onto it.

The Torre del Mangia, with its height of 87 meters, offers one of the most beautiful views of the city. The climb can be a bit tiring: there are over 400 steps, a bit steep and narrow, to climb but the 360° view that awaits you on the top of the tower is really spectacular.

The Duomo in Siena, or the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, is one of the most outstanding examples of Romanesque-Gothic church in Italy. Imposing, almost dazzling for the extensive use of the white marble : inside the Cathedral is enriched with works of famous artists : Donatello, Nicola Pisano, Michelangelo and Pinturicchio.

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town near Siena. At the height of its glory San Gimignan’s patrician families had built around 72 tower houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 have survived the town still retains its feudal atmosphere and appearance: with its hilltop setting and encircling walls it forms an unforgettable skyline.

Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches. The “Historic Centre of San Gimignano”, is now a Unesco World Heritage site.

The town also is known for the saffron, the Golden Ham and its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area.

Arezzo

Arezzo is one of the wealthiest cities in Tuscany, due to its tradition in gold-smithery. Located in southeastern Tuscany, about 80 kms  from Florence, it sits atop a hill at the crossroads of four valleys: the Val Tiberina, Casentino, Valdarno and Valdichiana.

The Church of San Francesco is probably the most famous in Arezzo, with the incredible Early Renaissance fresco cycle by Piero della Francesca depicting the Legend of the True Cross.

The Piazza Grande is the most noteworthy medieval square in the city, opening behind the 13th century Romanesque apse of Santa Maria della Pieve: once the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the Giostra del Saracino (“Joust of the Saracen”). It has a sloping pavement in red brick with limestone geometrical lines.

In the surrounding countryside there are many treasures in the towns and castles that played an important role in the history of Tuscany. Visit Cortona, Anghiari, Monterchi and Sansepolcro (if you love Piero della Francesca) and the beautiful castle of Poppi.

Florence

Florence is an open-air exhibit of art and culture. It is known worldwide as the heart of the Renaissance, and the home of fine art and literature. Today, the essence of Florence could safely be said to exist in the city’s constantly restored art and architecture, their appearance and functionality altered only by their numbers in years – signature examples include Fillippo Brunelleschi’s Duomo and Michelangelo’s timeless statue of David, arguably the most recognisable and widely known image of western culture to date.

The romantic Ponte Vecchio, one of Europe’s last fully stone bridges, or even Giotto’s bell tower might give Florence the notoriety it deserves. None of these structures, artistic, architectural, or functional would stand, being worthy of generations of detailed restoration, if it weren’t for the thinking of Renaissance men and thinkers including Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Dante Aligheri: their impact changed our visual and literary world forever, and Florence is the city in which it all began: in fact, Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world.

Even the geographic locations of Tuscany and Florence, in the middle of the Italian peninsula, seem premeditated to make it easy for visitors to travel here from all parts of Italy with relative ease.

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is an enchanting village of Versilia: it has the long beach, the beauty of the Mediterranean Sea and the magnificent background of Alps Apuane, and is now one of the most known and trendy seaside resort in Tuscany.

It has been known since 1519 when Michelangelo Buonarroti was working in these parts. Thanks to him, the road Via del Marmo was lay-out to carry the blocks of precious white marble from Carrara quarries to the sea.
Forte dei Marmi takes its name from the fort built in the city center in 1700, as well as from the Carrara marble extracted a few miles from the town and famous all over the world for its incredible quality.

Walk around boutiques looking for brand new bags, hand-made shoes, and clothes: Prada, Tod’s, Versace, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Moncler, Scervino, Cavalli, Fiacchini, Volponi and other international brands like Louis Vuitton, Rolex and Philippe Plein. The Antiquity Market is another traditional rendezvous (every second Saturday and second Sunday of the month) in Piazza Dante.

Walk along the beach and the “corso”, a five km long street in front of the sea under the oak trees. There are plenty of bars and restaurants, many specialising in fresh sea food.

Montecatini Alto

You might not even have heard of this little town located on the main road and train line between Florence and Lucca, but it has been here since before medieval times. The position is not an arbitrary location, but rather one that reflects its unique natural defensive barrier and its strategic position for those ruling families hungry for power.
Below the town runs the River Nievole in the valley, the Valdinievole: the word Nievole comes from the latin word for mist, giving the area a rather magical allure, the misty valley. It was much later that the thermal springs were recovered in the valley, and the town below became known as Montecatini Terme.The two towns are connected by a bus that runs regularly every 60 minutes or you can make use of the cable car that offers a picturesque view on the ride .

To wander around Montecatini Alto translates into a sensory pleasure for both the eyes as well as the palate. The main square is rich with restaurants and little place where you can taste a good wine while dining on dishes made with traditional Tuscan recipes. Set on two hills, Montecatini Alto invites you to explore. On one side you will find the Rocca di Castello Vecchio, the Church of St. Peter (the original church of Montecatini) and the Tower of Campanaria. Instead, on the opposite hill you will find the Torre dell’Orologio and the Church of the Carmine in a distinct Baroque style.

This is also an active little town and there are many events throughout the year which give life to the borgo. There is always a good reason to stop and visit Montecatini Alto, even if it is just to appreciate the unique and beautiful landscapes of the Valdinievole in the province of Pistoia

Lucca

From the fashionable Mediterranean coast to the marble mountains of the Apuans, the chestnut forests of the Apennines, the Natural parks with lakes, canyons, thermal springs and grottoes, the luxuriant gardens of the Renaissance villas, olive groves and vines, the surrounding area of Lucca is probably the best area to be in Tuscany from May to September.

Lucca: ‘the  place to visit in Italy’ according to the New York Times, the town that contains the largest number of churches in Italy and offers a glimpse on the best of the Tuscan culture, with its wealthy, cultured inhabitants and its classical music tradition – Puccini, just to name one, is from this area.

Considered few years ago the off-the-beaten-track location of the region has today become a centre of attention, with its contemporary art galleries in medieval towns (Barga) and dramatic locations (Orrido di Botri). Home to the ‘devil’s bridge’ (ponte del diavolo) and Capannori, the area of the camelie flowers, this very wide surrounding area is also famous for its very elegant noble villas, basking in the countryside among olive groves and vineyards: they were not only the summer residences of the noble families but were also representative of a certain status as can be seen from their beautiful architecture and lavish interior décor.

Travellers that choose the surroundings of Lucca have the opportunity to visit Pisa, the city of the leaning tower, in an average thirty minutes drive.

Maremma Coastline

Washed by the clear water of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Maremma coastline is long, with cliff overlooking the crystal see and encrusted with villas alternating with sandy beaches bordered by dunes and decked with green bushes and flowers, framed by lush, thick pine groves. The long sandy shore runs from Punta Ala to Castiglione della Pescaia, from Marina di Grosseto to Pincipina a Mare to the wild coves of Marina di Alberese in the Maremma National Park, unspoilt nature, a crystal-clear water and some very famous beaches such as Ultima Spiaggia. Here, along the Tyrrhenian coast, between Grosseto and Capalbio, sits the most understated and chicest seaside riviera of Italy, a secret hub for the world famous in search of privacy as well as for true lovers of the sea, a place where still today Royals from all Europe convey and hunt together for wild boar.

The two main towns in the area are the medieval village of Capalbio, enveloped in an atmosphere of understated sophistication that won’t fail to take any visitor’s breath away, and Porto Ercole, which has one of the Maremma’s best nightlife scenes, both unforgettable for those who love the classic glamour of la dolce vita.

Perugia

Lifted by a hill above a valley patterned with fields, where the River Tiber runs swift and clear, Perugia is Umbria’s petite and immediately likeable capital. Its centro storico (historic centre) rises in a helter-skelter of cobbled alleys, arched stairways and piazzas framed by magnificent palazzi (mansions). History seeps through every shadowy corner of these streets and an aimless wander through them can feel like time travel. Amongst many important folkloristic events taking place in the city Umbria Jazz and Eurochocolate gastronomic festival are definitively worth a visit.

Città della Domenica is the first amusement park of Italy for children. Together with its spiritual sister, Assisi, Perugia is a candidate for European Capital of Culture 2019. It is also a bustling university town full of life that has always been the center of much attention. Perugia is known also for the fine chocolate that is produced there – any visit must be accompanied by some ‘Baci’ chocolate. The biggest annual event is a jazz festival which is held in July and attracts many renowned international performers. In October, chocolate lovers get to indulge their taste buds at the annual festival. The city contains many museums, the main one being the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria which is inside the magnificent Palazzo dei Priori. A walk down the main Corso Vannucci from the Rocca to the Fontana, will lead you to the museum. From here, take a stroll down the Via dei Priori for a step back in time.